The Dairy and Food Science Department offers graduate programs in Biological Sciences leading to a Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree with specialization in Dairy Science for both Dairy Manufacturing and Dairy Production. It also offers Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree with specialization in Food Science. The department is equipped with excellent laboratories; a dairy processing plant which manufactures fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, and other products; and a dairy production research and training facility where a herd of 300 Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy cattle is maintained for teaching and research.

Metabolism and surgical facilities in the Animal Science Complex, and specialized laboratory equipment in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, Health & Nutritional Sciences Departments, and the Edgar S. McFadden Biostress laboratories, are also available. Graduate students accepted into the program will have opportunities to utilize these facilities to develop basic and/or applied research programs in dairy product processing and development, microbiology, chemistry, food safety, dairy cattle nutrition, management, and metabolism, while interacting with well qualified faculty.

The SDSU Dairy and Food Science Department, is an active part of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center, which is partially supported by National Dairy Council and Midwest Dairy Association. This provides graduate students in the Dairy Manufacturing area a unique opportunity to be involved with current issues and research needs of the dairy industry.